The present embodiments are directed to an ice hockey skate system that is useful in providing optional blade stiffness and ease of swapping out ice hockey skate blades.
For nearly 150 years, hockey has been an important winter pastime for outdoor enthusiasts. In that time, hockey has evolved in rules and equipment. For example, in 1879, teams had nine players on each side, yet today teams have only six players. Also, old fashioned hockey skates were once steel blades tied to the bottom of stiff pair of shoes, but today their construction can include over-molded stainless steel blades attached to high technology skate boots.
Today the sport of ice hockey has spread to street hockey, which does not require any skate whatsoever to rollerblading and roller skating. However, the hockey skate is distinguishable over other forms of roller related skates, such as roller skates or roller blades because of the high rigidity required by the ice hockey skate. Accordingly, the only thing similar between a roller skate or roller blade and a hockey skate is the boot. All other aspects have diverged (though they may look similar) because of the very different requirements between ice hockey skates and roller blades, roller skates, etc.
FIG. 1 is a prior art illustration depicting the present state of the art hockey skate 100. As depicted, today's hockey skate 100 provides a standard leather or plastic boot 104 with a tendon guard 102 and a high stiffness arrangement comprising a skate blade 108 embedded in a one-piece blade holder 106 that is riveted or screwed onto the boot sole 112.
It is to innovative improvements related to ice hockey skates systems that the claimed invention is generally directed.